"Speech is our most visible communication skill," says Lil Radley, Literacy Services Coordinator at the Lethbridge Public Library. "Often, we're judged on all our skills based on just our first few minutes of speech."

At a glance:

Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) in British Columbia builds community and supports literacy and lifelong learning through their 11 library branches and more than 250 staff. They offer free access to learning materials, be they books, computers or otherwise, as well as the space, tools and expertise to explore them.

Programs of note:

At a glance:

The Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS), based in Halifax, is a leading community organization that welcomes immigrants to Nova Scotia.  With their community partnerships and team of over 120 staff, ISANS helps immigrants fully participate in Canadian life by delivering programs and creating opportunities for newcomers.  Their programs help with everything from resettlement to finding work to language learning. Their Community Language & Skills team runs 27 classes, 13 of which are for literacy learners.

At a glance:

The John Howard Society of Manitoba (JHSM) provides services and programming for men 18+ who have been, or may be, incarcerated. JHSM works with a team of 22 to support their clients in everything from literacy education to parenting courses and anger management programming. JHSM also does significant advocacy work, promoting approaches to crime reduction and healthy communities that are both humane and evidence-based.

The literacy connection:

At a glance:

The Regina Public Library (RPL) in Saskatchewan is a busy organization that served over 1.4 million visitors last year.  It also has a long history with literacy programming. Their Literacy Unit, created almost 40 years ago, offered literacy services and one-on-one programming before any other library in Canada. Today, the Literacy Unit is made up of 3 full-time adult educators and an ever-growing roster of community volunteers.

Programs of note:

Health literacy is important to Canadians because good health is important to Canadians. It is as simple as that.

At a glance:

Schools close for the holidays, but young minds and bodies need to keep busy. The winter holidays can be the perfect time for families to play games that reinforce learning. ABC Life Literacy Canada offers these holiday family-time tips to help the cold days pass quickly—and these activities are so fun that your little ones won’t even realize they are practicing important literacy skills!